Clipper



l. JEPPSSON CLIPPER Jan. 8, 1935.

Filed June vsa, 1951 s sheets-sheet 1 l. JEPPSSON Jan. s, 1935.

CLIPPER Filed June 8, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 8, 1935. JEPPssoN 1,987,444

CVLIPPER vFiled June 8, 1931 3 sheets-sheet 3 Zag- 62 76Vr 7J Patented an. 8, 1935 STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIPPER poration of Illinois Application June s, 1931, serial No. 542,754

8 Claims.

This invention relates to animal shears generally and is particularly concerned with improvements in electric motor driven clippers.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a clipper of the kind mentioned of light and compact construction designed to t comfortably in the hand while presenting the clipping end in such relation to the handle so that every part of the animal can be clipped easily and without any maneuvering.

Among the features embodied in this clipper worthy of special mention may be enumerated the following- (l) The provision in connection with the cutter arranged to reciprocate on the comb in a straight line, of a tension plate having balls carried in a retainer thereon to guide the cutter for reciprocation in the manner stated with minimum friction relative to the tension plate, and means for supporting the plate centrally on the front of the clipper with freedom to rock laterally so as to equalize the pressure on the balls, the plate also having means centrally disposed with respect thereto for placing the same under the desired adjusted spring pressure for tension purposes.

(2) The provision of an air inlet screen on the back of the clipper and an air outlet screen on the front, and a fan on the armature shaft of the electric motor mounted in the casing of the clipper between said screens, the casing being constructed so as to afford a clean sweep for air through the clipper for cooling purposes, and the screens serving to exclude dirt and air so as to keep the motor clean.

(3) The provision of a sealed gear case on the front of the clipper permitting-the operation of the principal working parts in lubricant to minimize wear and make for smooth and quiet operation, the said gear case being, furthermore, proclipper for the wires providing the electrical connections, the said pocket having a quickly removable cover plate onto which the extension cord is suitably attached as a matter of convenience in assembling or servicing the clipper,

and

(5) Improvements in the drive as well as other improvements in the general design and/assem- (Cl. Sil- 1) bly with a view to convenience in the handling of the clipper.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the course of the follwing detailed description, in which reference'is if? made to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 isaI plan view of my improved clipper indicating in dotted lines the way in which the same is heldin the hand; 1

Fig. 2 is a rear view showing the handle strap in full' lines for right handed operation and'. dotted lines for left handed operation Aof the clipper; .i

Fig. 3 is a central, longitudinal, vertical section through the clipper; i?

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines of this iigure; Y

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the middle of Fig. 3 with the tension plate removed; 20

Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line '7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is an under-side view of the tension plate, and

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional'details on the correspondingly numbered lines of Figs. 8 and 6, respectively.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts 'throughout the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the clipper of my invention has the casing thereof formed in three sections, a front section 11, a middle section 12 and a rear section 13 in the form of castings generally circular in cross-section arranged to be bolted together in a manner to be described presently. These sections, taken together, constitute the handle, the same being small enough in diameter to t comfortably in the hand, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The front section 1l. has a forward extension 14 forming a part of the clipping end of the tool. A handle strap 15 extends lengthwise over the top of the clipper and is fastened at its front end to the section 11 by means of a stud 16 so as to permit pivotal movement of the strap to right or left, as indicated in the r'ull and dotted line positions in Fig. 2. An arcuate guide 1'7 fastened, as at 18, to the back of the clipper has the rear end of l the strap entered under it and buckled, as at 19, so as to fit snugly over the hand in holding the clipper, whereby to enable the operator to manipulate the clipper without keeping a tight hold thereon, such as would mean fatigue in the course of a few hours Work. The strap is slidable on the guide 17 to the right or left for right handed or left handed clipping and, of course, serves the same purpose in either case. The operator can adjust the strap 15 to suit himself. The handle strap above described is the subject matter of an application for patent by Edwin S. Bartlett, filed as a continuation cf the present application.

Referring now principally to Figs. 3 and 6, it will be seen that the section 13 has a reduced front portion 20 arranged to flt in the counterbored rear portion of the section 12, and that screws 21 are entered throughlugs 22 in the section 12 from the front end thereof and threaded into the section 13 to fasten the same together. The sections 11 and 12 have flat faces machined thereon for abutment, as appears at 23, and screws 24 entered through the front of the section 11 and threaded into the section 12 serve to fasten the same together. Now, the sections 12 and 13, taken together, form the housing for the electric motor 25 for driving the clipper, which is preferably a universal motor so as to operate on either direct or alternating current. The armature 26 of the motor has one end of its shaft 27 received in a bearing 28 in the front of the section 12 and its other end in a bearing 29 in the back of the section :13. Accurate alignment of the bearings 28 and 29 is secured by virtue of the way in which -the sections 12 and 13 are interfltted, as previously explained. The stator 30 of the motor 25 is held in place in section 12 by means of small set screws 31 (see Fig. 6) and the bolts 21 are arranged to pass through holes therein, as shown. 'I'his much description of the motor and the general assembly of the clipper will suffice for the present.

As best appears in Figs. 3-5, a pinion 32 is suitably xed on the front end of the armature shaft- 27 and meshes with a gear 33 mounted on a stud 34 ilxed on the front end of the section 12. A crank pin 35 projects forwardly from the gear 33 at a predetermined radius with respect to the stud 34 and projects through/a slot 36 in the back of a lever 37 for entry in a diametrical hole in a ball 38 fitting neatly in a bore provided in the lever 37 drilled from the upper end thereof. The lever 37 has a driving connection at its lower end with a rock shaft 39 disposed in the longitudinal median plane of the clipper and mounted for oscillation in a bearing 40 provided in the portion 14 of section 11. A crank 41 is provided on the front end of the shaft 39 and has a split crank pin 42 projecting forwardly therefrom for reception in the eyelet 43 provided on the butt of the toothed cutter 44 arranged to reciprocate on the comb 45. Other details of the clipping end will be described presently but it is believed to be evident from the foregoing that operation of the motor 25 produces oscillation of the lever 37 and consequently of the crank 41 to reciprocate the cutter 44 relative to the comb 45. The ball 48 is, of course, free to turn on the pin 35 and runs freely in the bore provided therefor in the lever 37, so that there is a minimum loss of power through friction and the clipper operates smoothly and quietly. The detachable connection afforded between the pin 35 and ball 38 facilitates assembling of the clipper, as will, no doubt, be obvious.

The cutter 44 is arranged to have straight line motion in its reciprocation relative to the comb 45. The latter is fastened suitably by screws 46 to the extension 14 forming a part of the clipping end of the tool and hence is rigid with the handle. The top of the comb affords a smooth at bearing surface for the cutter to operate upon, and, assuming that the cutter is held down with the proper amount of tension, the teet'h ci' the cutter in moving relative to the teeth of the comb will clip the hair. A shallow groove 47 is provided in the top of' the cutter 44 preferably slightly to the rear of the teeth thereof. A tension plate 48 has a pair of balls 49 carried therebeneath in a retainer 50 allowing the same to have a certain amount of lineal movement back and forth in a groove 51 provided in the plate. 'I'he tension plate 48 is arranged to be placed over the cutter with the balls 49 fitting in the groove 47. In other words, the balls roll in the groove 47 on the one hand and in the groove 5l on the other as the cutter 44 is reciprocated with relation to the comb 45 and the tension plate 48. The tension plate is stamped from a piece of sheet metal so that the groove 51 is formed by simply producing a shallow bead in the metal, as indicated in Fig. 9. This is at the front end of the plate. The rear end of the plate is struck up to provide a substantially half-round bearing portion 52 at the middle thereof arranged to fit on the rounded top of the bearing 40 to permit the plate to fulcrum about this point and allow the pressure of the plate on the cutter to be equalized as between the two balls 49. Locating pins 53 have a loose llt in holes provided in the plate 48 to either side of the bearing 52 and serve to hold the plate in place without interfering with the equalizing action just referred to. A bolt 54 has its headed lower end non-rotatably received in a center hole in the comb 45 and extends freely through a slot 55 in the cutter and through a hole 56 in the tension plate 48 and projects above the tension plate sufficiently to permit the placing thereabout of a coiled compression spring 57 under a wing nut 58 threaded on the end of the bolt. The pressure of the spring 57, being directly in line with the fulcrum afforded by the bearing 52- and exactly midway between the balls 49, means evenly distributed tension on the cutter, and we have found that, due to this close accuracy, the clipper will operate satisfactorily with much lighter tension than other clippers otherwise constructed. The tension plate covers up all but the teeth of the cutter and entirely encloses the cutter actuating crank. In that way, there is no possibility of injury to the animal, and, on the other hand, no chance for hair to find its way to the ball bearing tension and interfering with the operation of the clipper. There is a front flange 59 for med on the plate 48 reaching down close to the top of the cutter just behind the teeth to prevent hair from getting in under the plate at this point, and side flanges 60 reaching down from the plate at both sides into close proximity with the to;` of the cutter to keep the hair from getting in at those points. The tension plate is formed to fit the clipping end of the tool with enough clearance allowed at the front and sides to permit the plate to properly serve its purpose whether used in connection with a new cutter or one that has been ground away to a certain extent. In other Words, it allows any adjustment of tension throughout the life of the cutter.

With a View to good lubrication I have formed a gear case 61 by the coring cut of the back of the section 11 substantially diametrically in a vertical plane, as best appears in Fig. 4, and cor respondingly coring out the front of the section 12, as at 62 and 63, see Fig. 3. When the sections 11 and 12 are fastened together, the gear case 61, in which the principal working parts 32-38 are housed, is arranged to be filled with s Cil grease or other suitable lubricant through the opening afforded by removal of the plug 64 (Fig. 4) Thus, these parts are always assured of adeouate lubrication and should never require any attention throughout the life of the clipper but will always operate smoothly and quietly. An oil hole 65 is suitably provided in 'the bearing 28 communicating with the gear case 61 to take care of lubrication of the one armature shaft bearing. The other armature shaft bearing 29 is arranged to be oiled through the hole 66, An oil hole 67 provided in the bearing 40 for lubrication of the shaft 39 is properly located with r:- spect to the portion 52 of the tension plate 48 so as to be covered thereby when the tension plate is in position; in that way there is no danger of dirt or hair finding its way into the bearing, and there is, furthermore, no oily surface exposed where hair would otherwise be apt to collect on the clipper.

A fan 68 is mounted on the armature shaft 27 immediately behind the bearing 28. Passages 69 are cored in the section 12 and communicate with passages 70 cored in section 11 to either side of the gear casel. Openings 71 are provided in the back of the clipper in section 13 for the admission of air drawn in by the operation of the fan 68 andy this air naturally circulates through the motor housing before it is discharged through the passages 69 and 70 over the clipping end of the tool. That insures keeping the motor cool enough so that there will be no danger of damage because of overheating and, furthermore, no likelihood of discomfort due to heating ofthe motor housing which, as stated before, forms a part of the handle. The air discharged onto the cutting line tends to blow the hair away from the clipper, the advantage of which is obvious. A flne screen '72 covers the openings 71 from the inside and another screen 73 covers the front ends of the passages 70 to prevent dirt and hair from getting into the clipper. Both screens are suitably clamped in place by means of plates fastened by screws.

A pocket 'la is formed in the top of section 13 over the armature shaft bearing 29 for the reception of the lead-in wires coming from the extension cord 75 and arranged to be connected in the usual way with the brushes 76 of the motor. The connections with the brushes are preferably completed by means of spring clips 7'7 fitting over the brush holders, as best appears in Figs. 6 and 10. Certain of the lead-in wires are also extended to the toggle switch 78 which is suitably mounted on the back of the clipper below the armature shaft bearing 29. A cover plate '79, suitably fastened by means of screws 80, is provided in connection with the pocket 74 to cover up the lead-in wires, and serves also as a place for attachment of the end of the extension cord 75, as indicated at 81. It is obvious that removal of the screws 8O permits removal of 'the plate 79 andw it is, therefore, a very simple matter to make the various connections.

It is believed the'foregoing description conveys a good understanding of all of the objects and advantages of my invention. rIhe appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations such as will, no doublt. occur to those skilled in this art as a result of this disclosure.

claim:

1. A clipper comprising in combination with a handle, a comb on the handle, a cutter reciprocable cn the comb, a bearing extending forwardly from the handle at the middle of the comb, a power-operated oscillating shaft extending from the handle through said bearing having a crank on the front end thereof operatively connected with the cutter to reciprocate the same. said cutter being provided with a ball-receiving lgroove substantially parallel with its toothed edge, a'tension plate fitting freely over the bearing to rock laterally with respect thereto for tension pressure equalization, and extending forwardly over the cutter, whereby to enclose the crank connection with the cutter and also cover the top of the cutter, anti-friction bearing balls carried in retainer means on said plate in a predetermined alignment and arranged to fit in the aforesaid groove whereby to guide the cutter for reciprocation relative to the comb and with minimum friction relative to the tension plate, said balls constituting the sole guide means for the reciprocating cutter and being removable from the clipper with the plate as a unit, and adjustable spring tension means cooperating with the front end of the tension plate in line with the bearing to press the cutter against the comb.

2. A clipper comprising in combination with a handle, a comb on the handle, a cutter reciprocable on the comb, a bearing extending forwardly from the handle at the middle of the comb, a power-operated oscillating shaft extending from the handle through said bearing having a crank on the front end thereof operatively connected with the cutter to reciprocate the same, said cutter being provided with a ball-receiving groove substantially parallel with its toothed edge, a tension plate reaching from the bearing forwardly over the cutter whereby to enclose the crank connection with the cutter and also cover the top of the cutter, anti-friction bearing balls carried on said plate for engagement in the opposite ends of said groove to guide the cutter for reciprocation with minimum friction relative to the tension plate, and spring means cooperating with the plate to press the cutter against the comb, there being an oil hole provided in said bearing to permit lubrication of the shaft therein, said tension plate serving to cover said hole when disposed in operative position, whereby to exclude dirt and hair.

3. In a clipper, the combination of a hollow elongated handle, an electric motor mounted in the handle with the armature shaft thereof disposed substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the handle, a comb fixed on the front end of the handle in parallelism with said axis, a cutter reciprocable on the comb, a bearing on the front end of said handle at the middle of the comb, a driven shaft extending forwardly through said bearing parallel with the armature shaft, a crank on the front end of the driven shaft operatively connected with the cutter, an oscillatinglever xed to the rear end of said shaft and extending upwardly therefrom past the front end of the armature shaft, the upper end of said lever being longitudinally slotted, a pinion on the front end of said armature shaft, a gear meshing therewith and mounted for rotation in the' handle lbehind the upper end of said lever, and a crank pin on said gear having a sliding pivotal connection with the slotted end of said lever.

4. In a clipper, the combination of ahollow F .5 shaft ml 0n the front end of said handle at the middle 0f the comb, a driven shaft extending forwardly through said bel'ing parallel with the amature shaft, a crank on the front end of the driven operatively connected with the cutter, an oscillating lever fixed to the rear end of said shaft and extending upwardly therefrom past the front end of the armature shaft, the upper end of said lever being longitudinally slotted, a gear driven by said armature shaft, a crank pin on said gear having a sliding pivotal connection with the slotted end of said lever, and a lubricant reservoir formed in the front end of said handle containing the lever and its related parts whereby to insure constant lubrication of these principal worklng parts.

5. In a clipper, -the combination of a hollow handle partitioned transversely so as to provide a motor housing in the rear portion and a lubri` cant reservoir in the front portion thereof, an electric motor mounted in the motor housing with the armature shaft thereof disposed parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle and extending through a bearing in the partition into the lubricant reservoir, a comb fixed on the front end of the handle, a cutter reciprocable relative thereto, a driven shaft extending from the lubricant reservoir forwardly through a bearing in the front end of the handle and operatively connected at the front end thereof witlrthe cutter to reciprocate the latter, and means operating in the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir providing an operating connection between the armature shaft and the driven shaft to oscillate the latter in the rotation of the former.

6. A clipper as set forth in claim 5 including an oil hole for the armature shaft'bearing communicating with the lubricant reservoir.

7. In a clipper, the combination of a hollow handle partitioned transversely so as to provide a motor housing in the rear portion and a lubricant reservoir in the front portion thereof, an

electric motor mounted in the motor housing with the armature shaft thereof disposed parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle and extending through a bearing` in the partition into the lubricant reservoir, a comb fixed on the front end of the handle, a cutter reciprccable relative thereto, a driven shaft extending from the lubricant reservoir forwardly through a bearing in the front end of the handle and operatively connected at the front end thereof with the cutter to re ciprocate the latter, means operating in the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir providing an operating connection between the armature shaft and the driven shaft to oscillate the latter in the rotation of the former, a fan on the armature shaft in the motor housing, one or more air passages provided in the front portion of the handle leading from the motor housing forwardly past the lubricant reservoir for discharge of air over the clipping end after cooling of the motor and the lubricant in the reservoir, and means for admitting air to the motor housing.

8. In a clipper, the combination of a hollow elongated handle, an electric motor mounted in the handle with the armature shaft thereof disposed substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the handle, a comb fixed on the front end of the handle in parallelism with said axis, a cutter reciprocable on the comb, a bearing on the front end of said handle at the middle of the comb, a driven shaft extending forwardly through said bearing parallel with the armature shaft, a crank on the front end of the driven shaft operatively connected with the cutter, an oscillating lever fixed to the rear end of said shaft and extending upwardly therefrom past the front end of the armature shaft, the upper end of said lever being longitudinally slotted, a gear driven by the armature shaft, and a crank pin on said gear having a sliding pivotal connection with the slotted end of said lever.

IVAR JEPPSSON. 

